Question 1

What is outsourced bookkeeping and how does it work?

Accepted Answer

You keep running your business and someone else keeps the books. In practice: you give us read-only access to your bank and credit card feeds in QuickBooks Online or Xero, send receipts and statements through a secure portal, and each month we reconcile every account, categorise the transactions, prepare your profit and loss and balance sheet, and file your HST/GST return. You get the statements and a year-end package your accountant can work from. Nothing needs to be dropped off and no one needs to come to your office.

Question 2

How much does bookkeeping cost in Canada?

Accepted Answer

Hourly bookkeepers in Canada generally charge $25 to $60 an hour, and more for a designated accountant, which makes the monthly total unpredictable. Flat monthly packages are now the normal way to buy it. Ours start at $500 a month for under 50 transactions and $800 a month for unlimited volume, both including HST/GST filing and monthly statements. See the pricing page for what sits in each package, or use the bookkeeping cost calculator for an estimate against your own transaction volume.

Question 3

Do I need a bookkeeper near me, or does remote work?

Accepted Answer

Remote is fine, and for most businesses it is better. Every CRA filing is electronic, bank feeds come straight from your bank, and statements are shared digitally, so physical proximity adds nothing to the work. What it does change is who you can sit down with: our office is on Sixth Line in Oakville, so Halton and west-GTA clients can come in when something needs a conversation rather than an email. Clients elsewhere in Canada work with us entirely remotely.

Question 4

What accounting software do you use?

Accepted Answer

QuickBooks Online or Xero, whichever you already have. If you are on one of them we connect to your existing file and carry on from where you left off. If you are starting fresh, or coming off spreadsheets, we will set one up and tell you which of the two suits how you invoice. Managing the file is included in every package, so the software choice does not change what you pay us.

Question 5

Is my financial information secure?

Accepted Answer

Bank feeds run through bank-grade encryption inside QuickBooks Online or Xero, so we never need your banking login. Documents move through an encrypted client portal with two-factor authentication rather than email, and access is limited to the people working on your file. We do not email cheque images or statements.

Question 6

What if my books are months or years behind?

Accepted Answer

That is one of the more common reasons people call, and it is a separate job from monthly bookkeeping. We look at the file first, tell you how far back it needs to go to file cleanly, and quote the catch-up as a one-time amount before starting. Up to three months of catch-up is included in the Standard package. Being behind is not a reason to wait: CRA interest compounds daily on an unpaid balance, so the cost of a late filing grows while the books sit.

Question 7

Can you file my tax returns too, or just do the bookkeeping?

Accepted Answer

Both, and that is the main reason clients consolidate with us. We are a CRA authorized e-filer and handle personal T1 returns, corporate T2 returns, HST and payroll alongside the bookkeeping. Return preparation is quoted separately from the monthly package, because the work depends on the structure of the return rather than transaction volume, but it costs less when we already keep the books: the year-end is a review instead of a reconstruction.

Outsourced Bookkeeping for Canadian Small Businesses

Ten core services, handled by the same team.

Prefer to work remotely?

Flat-rate monthly bookkeeping from $500

Why Businesses Choose Ontario Tax Team

CRA authorized e-filer

The same people every year

Flat monthly rate, no hourly billing

The books and the return in one place

Remote across Canada, on the ground in Halton

Specialized Expertise for Your Industry

Common questions

Ready to Take Control of Your Finances?